Top 10 Veterans News from Around the Country 10-09-09

What’s Inside Today’s Local News for Veterans

1. GI Bill Delays Frustrating Students In Colorado, Missouri.
2. Groups Receives Homeless Vets Assistance Funds Form VA.
3. Huntsville, Alabama, To Host 2010 Medal Of Honor Gala. 
4. Grant To Help Jack C. Montgomery VAMC Launch Rural Healthcare Initiatives. 
5. Grand Junction VAMC To Open "Tele-Health" Clinic In Moab. 
6. House Approves Advance Funding Legislation For Veterans Medical Programs. 
7. Joint Navy, VA Hospital Passes "Key Hurdle" In Congress. 
8. Elderly Vet’s Struggle Illustrates Transportation Woes. 
9. At Austin Job Fair, Veterans Fight Odds To Find Full-Time Jobs. 
10. Loudoun Family Mourns For ‘The Life Of The Party.’ 

1.      GI Bill Delays Frustrating Students In Colorado, Missouri.  In continuing coverage, a front page story in the Denver Post (10/8, O’Connor) reported, "Swamped by nearly 290,000 claims for the new GI Bill, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been unable to process paperwork, leaving some vets worried about paying bills for housing and books." Last week, however, the VA "began issuing emergency payments" of "as much as $3,000" at "57 regional offices across the country," including the one in Lakewood, Colorado, which, by this past Wednesday, "had issued checks to 593 students who applied for their educational benefits but had not yet received payments." According to the Post, such "delayed payments have created big problems for people like Janet Maestas, who oversees the Veterans Services Office at Metro State." Maestas told the Post that when the "process is streamlined, it will be wonderful for veterans," but "right now, it’s a source of frustration."
      In a similar article, The Journal (10/8, Johnson), a newspaper for Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, said the "trouble continues for veterans as…Post-9/11 GI Bill payments have been delayed even further. Originally, student veterans could expect to wait six to eight weeks for the payment from the government to cover their class expenses," but now, "as the program backs up further and further, student veterans can expect to wait up to 10 to 12 weeks for their money to arrive. There have been mixed reactions at Webster University, as some veterans are handling the waiting period with civility, while other offices have become overrun with applicants that continue to wait longer than they were told." The Journal did note that VA Secretary Eric Shinseki recently announced the emergency payments plan, which has since been implemented.
      In a related editorial, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (10/9) notes that once the problem with delayed Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits "went public," Shinseki "said veterans had a right to complain. He also said the department would issue almost $70 million in advance benefits to more than 25,000 veterans whose payments had been delayed." But, while it is "great the problem is finally being addressed," it "never should have gotten to this point." The Sun-Sentinel concludes, "A good soldier anticipates problems, and takes appropriate action to avoid disasters. Military bureaucrats and politicians need to do the same thing."
 

2.      Groups Receives Homeless Vets Assistance Funds Form VA.  In continuing coverage, South Carolina’s The State (10/9) reports, "Christian mission outreach in Wagener will receive nearly $1.6 million through Veterans Affairs to provide beds for homeless veterans. Christ Central Ministries will be able to use the $1,592,500 grant to create 96 beds for homeless veterans, according" to the US "Department of Veterans Affairs. ‘These grants will aid our efforts to eliminate homelessness among those who have served in uniform," Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in a press release about the grants, distributed to 19 states.’ Christ Central Ministries…is the only South Carolina recipient named in the grant." The KHSB-TV Kansas City, MO (10/8, Seelye) website reported, "The Salvation Army will share in $17 million" in Federal grants to help homeless veterans." On Tuesday, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki "announced the grants in a news release." Kansas City’s Salvation Army "will receive $656,110 to provide 30 beds. The VA also awarded $308,295 to Corner House in Emporia, Kan."  

3.      Huntsville, Alabama, To Host 2010 Medal Of Honor Gala.  On its website, WAFF-TV Huntsville, AL (10/8, Gentle) reported, "Huntsville has been designated to host the prestigious 2010 Medal of Honor Gala: In The Company of Heroes." The gala, which "will be held Saturday August 28th," is "hosted by The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation." WZDX-TV Huntsville, AL (10/9, 2:31 a.m. CT) aired a similar report.  

4.      Grant To Help Jack C. Montgomery VAMC Launch Rural Healthcare Initiatives.  The Tulsa (OK) World (10/7, Hylton) said, "A $3.9 million grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Rural Health will help" the Jack C. Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center "launch new initiatives to reach veterans in rural eastern Oklahoma. " The funds "will help the medical center establish home-based primary care teams that will take" healthcare to "eligible veterans in the Hartshorne, Pawhuska, Talihina and Vinita areas. Home-based primary care is made up of an interdisciplinary team that travels to the home and provides care to veterans who do not have adequate access to health care because of medical, social or behavioral conditions that prevent travel to clinics."
 

5.      Grand Junction VAMC To Open "Tele-Health" Clinic In Moab.  Moab (UT) Times-Independent (10/9, Bigler) reports, "The Grand Junction Veterans Administration Medical Center is establishing a ‘tele-health’ clinic in Moab, VA officials announced recently." The Times-Independent continues, "The clinic is being funded through a $7.3 million Federal grant that will allow the opening of several new outreach clinics in the Mountain West, including the Moab and Price areas, said" US Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT), who added that he is "very pleased to see this expanded collaboration between medicine and technology implemented." The Times-Independent notes that the grant money is being "allocated by the Veteran Administration’s Office of Rural Health."  

6.      House Approves Advance Funding Legislation For Veterans Medical Programs.  In continuing coverage, the Army Times (10/9, Maze) reports, "They didn’t pass the 2010 veterans’ budget on time — for the 20th time in 23 years — but House lawmakers took a historic vote Thursday to enact legislation that would prevent disruption from similar budget lapses in the future. By a 409-1 vote, the House gave final approval to HR 1016," which "would provide funding one year in advance for veterans medical programs, starting with fiscal 2011. Advance funding would apply to medical services and support and facility programs, but not to other portions" of the Veterans Affairs budget. Funds for "benefits such as disability compensation and the GI Bill are not subject to disruptions because they do not come from annual appropriations." The Times adds, "The lone vote against the bill came from Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana, ranking Republican" on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, who "wanted advance funding to also cover information technology and medical research." 

7.      Joint Navy, VA Hospital Passes "Key Hurdle" In Congress.  The Chicago Daily Herald (10/9, Lissau) reports, "A long-planned medical facility in North Chicago that will team the Navy and Veterans Affairs has passed a key hurdle in Congress, lawmakers announced Thursday." According to the Herald, the US House "approved the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, which gives the two military agencies authority to operate the Capt. James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center," which "will be the first-ever joint Navy and Veterans Affairs hospital." The US Senate "must vote on the proposal, and it must be signed by President Obama."  

8.      Elderly Vet’s Struggle Illustrates Transportation Woes.  The Arizona Republic (10/9, Thomason). 

9.      At Austin Job Fair, Veterans Fight Odds To Find Full-Time Jobs.  The Austin (TX) American-Statesman (10/9, Schwartz).
 

10.    Loudoun Family Mourns For ‘The Life Of The Party.’  The Washington Post (10/9, B2, Hosh).